Amazon’s hugely expensive Lord of the Rings series isn’t the only trip to Westeros fans can look forward to. Warner Bros. and New Line are working on a big screen animated movie, The War of the Rohirrim, set years before events in the main trilogy.
Behind the camera is director Kenji Kamiyama, known for Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex and Blade Runner: Black Lotus. Jeffrey Addiss and Will Matthews (The Dark Crystal: Age of Extinction) will write the screenplay.
Connection abound to Peter Jackson’s Oscar-winning trilogy of live-action films. Not only are we seeing Warner Bros. and New Line reunite for another trip to Middle Earth, but trilogy writer Philippa Boyens is consulting.
Here’s how TheWrap describes the film: “Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim” is set roughly 250 years before the events of “The Fellowship of the Ring” and follows the story of Helm Hammerhand. Casual “LOTR” fans may recognize that name for Helm’s Deep, the fortress that serves as the setting for the epic battle at the end of “The Two Towers.” But diehard Tolkien fans will know that Hammerhand was once a legendary King of Rohan. Tolkien described events of his life in appendices from the books, but the specifics of his story were never outlined.
Interestingly, this is planned as a standalone effort but will tie-in to Jackson’s trilogy, making this a must-see for the millions who look at those as classics. There will be no connection to anything Amazon is working on, however.
